Where Words Fail, Music Speaks
by Oliviasdreamscape
Summary: Takes place a couple of weeks after episode 3X09 "Marionette." Olivia is still desperately trying to convince herself that she isn't in love with Peter; however, he isn't about to give up on her. Peter decides to try something new.


How could he have not known it wasn't her? That woman was absolutely nothing like Olivia. Her and Peter had known each other for over 2 years and had spent nearly every single day together. She thought that he knew her better than anyone else. She had crossed universes to bring him back, so valiantly opening herself up to him and admitting that she wanted to be with him. He knew that wasn't easy for her to do after all of the heartbreak she'd endured throughout her lifetime. Then she was kidnapped, more terrified than she'd ever been, but certain Peter would come back for her just like she came for him. She would lie there in the dark, her hand searching for his, never being able to find him. She waited and waited, but he never showed. Moreover, Olivia had been seized, drugged, and mentally expunged; yet, somehow, Peter had still remained in her subconscious. She had turned that universe upside down to get back to him, only to achingly discover that he hadn't even known she'd been gone.

Peter had apologized fervently, and although she could tell he meant it, she had a strong feeling that he still cared for the other Olivia. Sometimes she would catch him staring at her as if longing for her doppelganger. What hurt Olivia the most wasn't the fact that he'd never came for her or that her mind had been negated. That wasn't the cause for her grief at all. She could get over that. The source of her hurt was that she just couldn't help but wonder whom Peter actually cared about more, and she was just too afraid to ask him in fear of his answer. So, she continually attempted to convince herself that she wasn't in love with him, hoping to decrease the pain she knew she'd feel when he eventually told her he was in love with another woman.

Olivia lied on her stripped mattress, staring at the dull, white ceiling. The silence of the room was almost tangible; she felt so empty and alone. She had cried almost relentlessly the last couple of weeks and no longer had any tears left. It was like all of her strength and will power had flowed out with the tears until she was ashen and listless. She didn't know how much longer she could handle this— she had hit rock bottom with a hard smack.

A buzzing noise on the nightstand pulled her slightly to consciousness. Aimlessly picking up the phone to check the caller ID, she saw it was Peter. Again. He had been calling her nonstop the last few days. She had taken the week off of work, needing time away from him: seeing his face was just too much right now. Olivia let the iPhone vibrate in her hand, staring at the name on the screen until the cell became motionless. The display then indicated that she already had 4 missed calls, and it was only 11 in the morning. She knew they were all from Peter without even having to look. Olivia was aware that he'd been increasingly worried about her, but she didn't care. She had no feelings left for him anymore, so she told herself.

Apathetically, she turned off the phone and sat up. She needed a drink. Blindly walking to the kitchen, Olivia reached into her cupboard for her whiskey, finding only a few drops left. Damn, she had just bought this a week ago. After downing what was left of the alcohol, she decided she might as well keep pretending everything was normal and take a shower. She turned the water to the hottest temperature possible, reveling in the feel of it as it burned her skin. The pain let her numb body know that she was still here, still alive.

After her shower, Olivia put on her robe and headed to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. If she couldn't have alcohol, then this would have to do. As she was getting ready to pour the steaming liquid into a mug, she heard a knock at her door. Olivia walked over and peered through the peephole with no intention of answering it. Nobody was there. Cautiously, she opened the door a crack and looked out. On the ground in front of her was a small, flat square in wrapping paper, equipped with a red bow. Looking down each end of the hall once more, she picked it up and saw that there was a little white envelope with "OLIVIA" written on it. She instantly recognized Peter's handwriting, and almost threw the gift across the room. Instead, she found herself carefully ripping open the envelope and pulling out the piece of paper inside. It simply read:

You have been and _**always**_ will be _**my**_ Olivia.

-P

Olivia had every intention of tearing the piece of paper in half, but just couldn't bring herself to actually do it. God, why did he have to put her through this? She would almost have herself completely convinced she didn't love him anymore, and then he'd do something like this. He would make her heart leap in hope, only to turn and look at her in desire for the woman who had so heinously taken her place. Olivia was so confused, not sure if she was ready to say goodbye to all they were, to all they possibly could be. She just needed to know whom he actually wanted to be with, but no matter how much she tried to brainwash herself, she knew she wouldn't be able to handle it if it wasn't her. All of these conflicting emotions left her both mentally and physically exhausted.

In her disconcerted state, she ripped the wrapping paper off of the gift to find a CD with no writing on it. She guessed it was homemade. Peaked with curiosity, she went into her bedroom and turned on her MacBook. When she stuck the CD in, all she heard was static at first. Then, the unmistakable melody of a piano filled her dark room, followed by Peter's voice. She realized with shock that he had recorded himself playing the piano and singing. Peter never sang for her, no matter how many times she'd begged him. He never sang for anyone, ever. She could tell he was embarrassed, which she thought was strange because he wasn't the least bit shy. Whatever he was singing to her had to be important for him to give up his self-abasement. His soothing voice still had the same tranquilizing effect on her it'd always had, making her frigid body fill with warmth. She closed her eyes and listened intently:

_Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry_

_You don't know how lovely you are_

_I had to find you, tell you I need you_

_Tell you I set you apart_

_Tell me your secrets and ask me your questions_

_Oh, let's go back to the start_

_Running in circles, coming up tails_

_Heads on a science apart_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_It's such a shame for us to part_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_No one ever said it would be this hard_

_Oh, take me back to the start_

_I was just guessing at numbers and figures_

_Pulling the puzzles apart_

_Questions of science, science and progress_

_Do not speak as loud as my heart_

_But tell me you love me, come back and haunt me_

_Oh and I rush to the start_

_Running in circles, chasing our tails_

_Coming back as we are_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_Oh, it's such a shame for us to part_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_No one ever said it would be so hard_

_I'm going back to the start_

The lyrics of the piece he'd chosen couldn't have been more perfect. After repeating the song several times, the tears Olivia had thought she'd run out of were streaming incessantly down her face. Music had such a way of touching a person emotionally, where plain words simply couldn't. He'd sang with such fervent passion, making her realize that she felt the exact same way as he did. She just wanted to go back to the start with him and forget all of this heartache. Peter had known exactly how to tug at her heartstrings and make her want to desperately fall into his arms. She was defeated.

Olivia just couldn't run from him anymore. She was done fighting off the feelings for him that she knew would never go away. She was tired and weak, no longer able to pretend that she wasn't in love with him. Without Peter, she had nothing to live for. Though she'd tried so hard to forget, he was all that she was—the one person that always brought out the best in her, who knew absolutely everything about her. He always knew just the right thing to say and do no matter how she was feeling. In all her bitterness and hurt, she'd ignored the truth: he was all she needed, all she'd ever wanted. And he was right there at her fingertips, waiting desperately for her to forgive and take him back.

Olivia still had so much she wanted to say to and ask him, especially the single burning question about which Olivia he truly loved, which had been slowly eating away at her. He'd made it pretty clear in his song that he wanted to be with her, but she needed to look into his eyes and hear his honest answer for her own sanity and comfort. She knew she had to face her biggest fear head on in order to stop feeling this way.

His sweet musical ballad had undoubtedly touched her heart; however, that didn't mean all of her hurt had simply dissipated, though she wished it could be that easy. She knew she wouldn't be able to refrain from erupting like an emotional volcano when she saw him. She had two weeks of built up angst and grief that needed to be released before she could ever give herself to him again, assuming that he actually loved her…

Olivia reached for her phone and turned it back on. She touched the 'recent calls' option and hesitated before she made the decision to call him. She knew that once she heard his voice, there was no turning back. Without further thought, she pressed his name and put the phone up to her ear. He answered on the first ring.

"Olivia?!" Peter cried, astonished that she'd actually called him. She'd been right: the second she'd heard the desperation in his voice she wanted nothing more than for him to be holding her.

"Hi," was all she could whimper through her crippled tears.

"Did you get what I set by your door?"

"Yes."

"Did you like it?"

"Yes."

"…Can I come see you?"

"Yes." Her last 'yes' came out as a sob, needing him so badly that she felt like she couldn't breathe.

"I'm on my way."

When Olivia heard him knock on her door for the second time today, she took a deep steadying breath. She didn't know if she would kiss or slap Peter when she saw him—her emotions were so unpredictable lately. As she opened the door and saw him standing before her, all she could do was stare. Her longing for him was competing with the immense heartbreak he'd caused her to go through, leaving her indecisive and frozen in place.

"Can I come in?" He asked cautiously. When she gave a slight nod, he carefully stepped past her and into her apartment. God, she looked completely enervated. Her already light skin was now pallid; dark circles around her red eyes standing out like a sore thumb. Her long blonde hair was damp from her recent shower and she was in her white robe. As her face hit the light, he saw her cheeks were still shiny from freshly shed tears. Knowing he was the cause of her anguish made him want to die.

They stood there starting at each other for a few moments—he had a feeling that this was the calm before the storm. Confirming his fears, Olivia's face started to contort in what he guessed was anger, desolation, or both. Then she came unglued, beating his chest with her fists, pushing him, and finally collapsing into his arms and crying harder than she ever had in her entire life. She clung to his neck as if he were the only thing keeping her from falling into a deep abyss. His heart shattered into a billion tiny pieces.

"How could you think she was me, Peter? How could you? I waited for you every single night and whole-heartedly believed you would come for me. I almost died countless times trying to make my way back to you only to find out that you'd given yourself to her." Olivia fervidly sobbed against his chest and felt his arms tighten around her quavering form.

Peter just couldn't handle seeing her like this or the immense shame he felt. For the first time since he was a little boy, he cried.

"Olivia, I am so profoundly sorry. I wish so badly that I could take back everything that I'd done, but I can't. You are the last person on earth I'd want to hurt, and it kills me everyday to know how much pain I've caused you." Peter's voice was miserable with regret, making Olivia cry even harder. She pulled away from him to look into those melancholy blue eyes, brimming with tears.

"I'm going to ask you something, and I want you to tell me the truth. I think I deserve at least that. Are you in love with her?" Olivia choked out the burning question, so terrified to hear his answer. Peter's eyes became deep and dark like the night ocean, full of sincerity and despair. When he firmly but gently took her face in his hands, she undoubtedly knew that everything he was about to say would be the unwavering truth.

"No Olivia. I don't love her. But I do still think about her. Not because I miss her, but because I miss the relationship that I thought I was having with you. The Olivia that I have spent so much precious time with and who finally gave me a home. You are the only one in the world who knows everything about me and cares about me anyway. I had wanted to be with you for so long that I just disregarded the obvious anomalies when I was with her. That was the biggest mistake I've ever made in my entire life. My judgment was clouded by how much I love you, Olivia. It's not any excuse for what I did to you, but I just need you to know that nothing I did was intentional. I'd rather give my life up than voluntarily cause you pain."

Olivia was left speechless by his sweet declaration. She unquestionably knew that he earnestly meant each and every word he'd just confessed. For the first time in over a month, she felt a smile begin to play at the corner of her lips.

"You love me?" She whispered incredulously, more tears welling up in her eyes and falling down her face. She had spent such a long time believing he was in love with the other Olivia that she just couldn't believe this was happening. She prayed she wasn't dreaming.

Giving her that adorable crooked grin that always melted her heart, Peter tenderly smoothed his thumbs over her cheeks and lips. "I've loved you from the first day I met you, Olivia. You. Not her. _You._ Nobody in this world could ever take your place in my heart."

Hearing Peter's confession and his admission of love seemed to instantaneously heal her broken heart. The weeks of misery and pain she'd endured were forgotten, pushed to a latent part of mind and locked away for good. He was hers. Forever.

The moment she finally gave him that impeccable smile that he'd so dearly missed, her green eyes twinkling with bliss, he lost it.

Peter tangled his hands in her hair and eagerly pulled her face to his. She sobbed his name against his lips, fully surrendering herself to him, mind, body, and soul. She definitely wasn't dreaming. It didn't take long for their kiss to become passionate, mouths open, tongues readily exploring the inner recesses. The taste of salt was prevalent from the tears they'd both shed. God how they'd missed each other. Somehow they made their way to Olivia's bedroom where Peter agilely pushed her onto the bed and fell on top of her, never breaking their urgent kiss. They were a mess of hands, hair, and lips. After a few minutes, Peter felt Olivia attempting to tug off his shirt. He broke off their kiss, causing Olivia looking at him in confusion.

"What's wrong?" She asked breathlessly.

"Olivia, you have no idea how badly I want you right now, but I don't want to do this just because we are both emotional wrecks. I don't want you to regret this," Peter attested, brushing his nose along the bridge of hers. He knew he wouldn't regret it, but he had to make sure she truly wanted this. "I want our first time to be special for both of us."

Olivia brought her hands to the back of his neck and lightly kissed the corners of his mouth. "Being emotional wrecks is what will make this so special, Peter," Olivia reasoned. She moved his head back so she could look into his eyes. "I'd never regret making love to you. _Never_."

That was all Peter needed to hear before he enveloped her in another mind-blowing kiss. She was completely right—their emotional state would make their first time overwhelmingly impassioned and intimate. They'd been away been away from each other for so painstakingly long.

Olivia didn't hesitate even remotely before ripping off his shirt and caressing his nude back. He kissed every inch of her beautiful face then trailed his lips all the way down to her collarbone. Her breathy sighs and involuntary hip movements were making him crazy. Sucking and nipping her ivory skin, he untied her robe and opened it a few inches. He continued to graze is lips down until he reached the sensitive spot between her breasts. Peter could tell she was getting anxious with want by the way she was squirming beneath him. He moved his hand under the fabric of her robe to cup her full breast, focusing his attention on her already hard nipple. Olivia dug her nails into his back in pleasure and gave a shrill moan. With his other hand, he lifted the fabric away from her other breast and took it in his mouth. He encircled his tongue around her nipple, feeling it grow harder and bigger. Her hips bumped against his hard, making him groan against her breast. He could hear her breathing get faster, deeper, until she came with a loud, quivering cry.

He'd barely touched her and she'd already had an orgasm—she must've missed him more than she'd thought. Olivia could already tell that this was going to be incredible.

Taking his face in her hands, she brought him up for a slow, deep kiss. Peter deftly removed the robe from her body without taking his lips off of hers, allowing her bare breasts to rub against his muscular chest. She moved her hands down to the button of his jeans wanting there to be nothing separating their bodies, but was having a hard time concentrating on anything but his hot mouth on hers. Peter helped her out, sliding off his pants and boxers in one fluid motion and tossing them on the floor.

Their naked bodies fit together so perfectly that they simply had to be made for each other. There was no other explanation. Even though the other Olivia was supposed to be an exact copy of his Olivia, she'd never fit into his body like this. She'd never made him crazy or filled him with abounding love in the way his Olivia did. God, why hadn't he noticed that before? Even though Olivia forgave him for what he'd done, he'd never forgive himself.

Peter smoothed his hands along every inch of her body, not being able to get enough of her. He kissed and touched every valley and curve, claiming her as his with every graze of his hands and lips. Olivia felt like she was flying. One of his hands tediously traveled down lower and cupped her most sensitive part, making her sigh metallically. Bit by bit, he gently pushed his middle finger inside of her. She took a sharp intake of breath and wrapped her arms around her neck, rubbing her womanhood against his hand for more.

Slowly, Peter spread her legs farther and moved between them. Looking into those sparkling peridot eyes, he finally saw what he'd been waiting to see for weeks: Pure, unadulterated love. His previously shattered heart began to mend itself; he was so afraid he'd never see that look again. He planted an affectionate kiss on her lips and leisurely slid his full length inside of her. Olivia's head fell back and her eyes closed.

She felt absolutely amazing—his wildest fantasies hadn't done him justice. He created a slow rhythm, Olivia meeting each of his thrusts with her own. Their bodies became increasingly slick with sweat as they moved with each other. Peter brushed her now wet hair away from her face and covered her with more kisses. As his pace quickened, he locked his gaze on her face, wanting to see every gratifying moment of her building climax.

Olivia felt herself begin tighten like an arrow about to be released from a bow. She had no control over her thoughts or her body. A fire began to spread throughout her limbs, flourishing in intensity until she reached the point of no return. She screamed loudly and arched her back as her body exploded in ecstasy. She felt Peter come a few seconds later, groaning almost as loudly as she had. He collapsed on top of her, nuzzling his face into her neck as she tangled her hands into his thick, sweaty hair. There were no words to describe how completely unworldly her entire intimate encounter with Peter had been. She'd never experienced anything so heavenly and full of love in her entire life.

After a few minutes, Peter slid off of her so they were facing each other and secured her body to his. He never wanted to let go of her; he'd never felt so close to anyone before. They'd become one being, each giving the other a piece of themselves for eternity. Peter was overcome with his love for her.

"Oh baby I thought I'd lost you," he lamented as he kissed her lips, her cheeks, her forehead. "I thought I'd lost you."

Olivia embraced the man that meant more to her than anything in the entire world, so unbelievably grateful that he was still hers. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. I love you, Peter. You are the first person I have ever said those words to. Even more, I trust you with everything I am. That's an even bigger deal to me than 'I love you.' Love is a feeling, where trust is a commitment- I am giving myself to you whole-heartedly."

Peter knew better than anyone that Olivia rarely trusted people. Even the people she did trust, it was never entirely. Her saying that she trusted him completely really was a huge deal. He couldn't believe that after all he'd put her through she still loved and trusted him, that she was still willing to risk her fragile heart to be with him. He had done absolutely nothing to deserve this marvelous woman.

Peter stroked her face with his knuckles. "I swear to you that I will devote my entire life to being the man that you deserve, Olivia. For eternity."

She gave him another one of those exquisite smiles and cuddled into him closely. He tucked her head under his chin and rubbed her nude back.

"Does being the man I deserve include singing for me when I ask you to?"

Peter grinned against her hair. "Anything you want."

"So, how'd you come up with the idea of swooping me off of my feet with a song?"

"Well I knew you weren't going to open up to me on your own, and I remembered how many times you'd begged me to sing for you. I was so desperate that I was willing to try anything. I needed you to know how special you are to me, how much I love you. I can't live without you, Olivia."

Olivia traced the outline of his pectorals, kissing the spot on his chest where her head lay. "Well it's good thing you don't have to."

They lied there in each other's arms for hours, talking about everything and nothing. Then, that undeniable electricity between them became too enticing to ignore. They made love again, then again after that, not stopping until the sun sank below the horizon. Physically and emotionally consumed, Olivia drifted into a peaceful slumber, entirely entangled in Peter's body. He watched her sleep nearly all night long, stroking her hair and still not believing that she was his. After a while his fatigue got the best of him, and he fell asleep filled with more joy and happiness than he'd ever known was possible.

As dawn broke, the first light from the morning sun shone through the cracks of the bedroom curtains. Olivia was sprawled on top of Peter like a blanket that was too short, her little toes barely at his ankles, her golden waterfall of hair cascading around his chest. She felt so incredible pressed fully against him, all soft, naked, and warm. Gradually awakening to consciousness, Peter couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. Hell, he'd probably been grinning in his sleep, as well. Here she was, his Olivia, finally in his arms. He ran his fingers through her silky locks, making her stir as she came out of her peaceful slumber. Olivia languidly moved off of him and cuddled into his body. Looking down at her angelic face, he saw that she was smiling, too. With a flutter, her eyes slowly opened and focused on his.

"Good morning, beautiful," Peter whispered, leaning down to plant a tender kiss on her lips as soft as a whisper.

Olivia gave him a breathtaking full-toothed smile and locked her arms around his neck to kiss him back. Peter was still here, and he loved _her_. It felt so good to wake up refreshed and happy, free from all of those overwhelmingly horrible thoughts and emotions. Now the only thing on her mind was Peter, and she'd never get tired of that.

"Shouldn't you be at work, Mr. Bishop?" Olivia teased against his lips.

"Nope, I took the day off. I was hoping to spend it with a special someone who I'm completely head over heels for."

"What's this special someone like?" Olivia questioned playfully. She moved her head back to rest on her pillow, lying on her side and facing him so she could look into his enchanting cobalt eyes. He settled his arm around her waist and rested his hand on the small of her back.

"Where do I even start? She's the most amazing person I have ever met. From the very first time I saw her, I was a goner. By the end of our first day together, she had me so completely wrapped around her finger that I would've gladly done anything she asked. Then as I grew to know her better, I fell so whole-heartedly in love that the thought of losing her made me panicky. She has these incredible green eyes, and when I look into him, it's like I've finally found my way home. And her smile, oh that smile, it's just magic. The very best part is that she loves and trusts me too, even though I don't deserve it. If there's one thing I'm certain of in this world, it's that I want to spend the rest of my life making her happy."

Tears trailed down Olivia's face as she laid her hand on his stubbly cheek. "Oh, Peter. I love you so much."

The next instant they were kissing vehemently and rolling around in the bed, insatiable in their adoration for each other.

They both knew exactly how they would be spending their day off.

**___Featured Song: The Scientist by Coldplay_**


End file.
